Vanessa Voltman is the resident trainer at Holland Dressage located in South Lyon, Michigan. Having ridden for over 30 years in Netherlands, Germany and Hong Kong, she brings to her farm a vast knowledge of everything dressage, whether it be dressage training, teaching, or selecting that next future star for the show ring.
Vanessa is originally from Achterveld, a city in the Netherlands, she still considers this to be her home town. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communication and Ecomny, white attending University of Utrecht, in Netherlands. She also has a business degree in Horsemanship.
Vanessa became a licensed instructor and trainer in dressage with the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation while attending their extensive three year course. Continuing her training she worked with many exceptional dressage trainers such as: Piet Oothout, Johan Hamminga, Ger Geertsen and Rien van der Schaft focusing on traditional Dutch and German methods of Dressage.
Spending time in Hong Kong, Vanessa worked at Kuolung Park with FEI judge Mrs. Allison King training off-the track Thoroughbreds for a second career in Dressage.
Back in the Netherlands Vanessa worked with Ger Geertsen at De Molshoop, a Dressage training facility focusing on upper level dressage horses.
Continuing her dressage career she trained many young dressage prospects and young stallions to prepare them for competition and the stallion approvals in the Netherlands. She competed several FEI level horses, and created a successfull business of buying and selling young dressage prospects, and has been in business for 23 years.
Vanessa’s Experience Since Living in the US
- Continues to import and sell young dressage prospects
- Resides in South Lyon, and travels for clinics and lessons
- Actively showing and training horses in dressage at many different levels
- Trains young stallions to prepare them for the stallion approval process here in the US including but not limited to the 30 and 70 day tests
- Previously owned and operated European Connection LLC in Fenton MI.